Door control system



Jan. 16, 1940. v PA N 2,.187J73 DOOR CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Nov. 27, 19572 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ma new l Valve Coats-oiling Door Engine Edward G gr y/2WWW ATTORNEY 3.

Jan. 16, 1940. E. PARVIN 2,137,173

noon CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Nov. 2'7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mag rw valveWind in g S 8 8 Engine INVENTOR. fdward G. Parvm ATTORNEYS the doorthrough Patented Jan. 16, 1940 2,187,173 I noon CONTROL SYSTEM Edward G.Parvin,

National Pneumatic Company,

Roselle, N. 3., assignor to New York, N. Y.,

- a corporation of West Virginia Application'November 27, 1937, SerialNo. 176,940

13 Claims. (or. 268 1) This invention relates to a novel combination ofapparatus by means of which electrical circuits for all purposes may becontrolled.

A general object of the invention is to provide control apparatus forelectrical circuits which includes a control device, the actuation ofwhich is dependent upon the interruption of a stream of air directedthereagainst.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide control apparatusfor power operated doors, the initiation of the action of which issubject to the movement of persons to and from air streamsprojectedacross the passageway on oneor both sides of the door.

The many other objects of the invention which are successfully securedby, means of the construction herein disclosed will be apparent from thefollowing description when considered with the attached drawings whichare illustrative.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction,arrangement and relative location of parts, all as will be fully setforth below.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of one form of v the system inaccordance with this invention,

showing mechanism for effecting opening of the door upon the approach ofa person from either direction and for effecting the closing thereofupon movement of that person away from the 'door in either direction.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic disclosure of a modified arrangement in whichmovement of persons in one direct-ion only, toward the door, may eiTectoperation thereof.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of a modification of the form ofsystem shown in Figure 1 wherein the control is influenced by themovement of persons to and from the doors, ineither direction.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a further modified form ofarrangement of the type illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 5 isa view through one of the air operated switch devices showingthe relationship of the parts and v i Figure 6 is a diagrammatic planView of an elevator car showing the application of the principles of theinvention to the control thereof or the doors thereof.

- In accordance with the system herein disclosed,

control circuits of all kinds may be influenced,

completed or opened by reason of the inclusion of the well knowndifferential type commonly emdirected thereagainst. In a specificembodiment ofthe broad idea of the invention, as applied to dooroperating systems, doors are either opened and/or closed solely byreason of the movement of a person towards and/or away from the door,characterized in that air streams which are directed across thepassageways on one or both sides of the door are interrupted by themovement of a person therethrough.

Referring first to the system of Figure 1, there is illustrateddiagrammatically at l and 2 a pair of barriers or walls which form apassageway to and from the door on both sides thereof. Extending acrossthe passageway is a door 3 diagrammatically illustrated as supported ona vertical shaft 4 which is caused to turn in aclockwise direction inopening the door by reason of the linkage connection 6 between it andthe fluid pressure motor 5. This motor has been illustrated as ployedfor this purpose, although it isto be understood that, as will beapparent from this disclosure, the invention herein is equallyapplicable, to use in conjunction with other forms of motive devicessuch as electrical motors. At one end of the passageway is a pair ofmotors 1 operating the fan blades 8 so as to direct streams of airthrough the openings I I in the barrier 2 across the pas-- sagewa'yagainst the baflles l3 and M. In a similar way, at the other end of thepassageway barriers, is a pair of motors 9 operating the fans ill whichdirect streams of air through the openings I 2 across the passagewayagainst the bafiles i5 and It. At this point it may be noted that othersources of air streams may be employed, such as a conduit andnozzlesystem served from a single air pressure source.

The baflles or plates l3, l4, l5 and iii are supported in any suitablemanner, as by means of hinges at the bottom edges thereof, so that theymay have a slight movement back and forth at right angles to the lengthof the passageway. These baiiles are, respectively, connected to theswitch blades or contacts I1, l9, 2! and 23 and are, respectively, actedupon by means of com-, '45 pression springs 18, 20, 22 and 24. Thebaflle and switch constructions may take many difierent forms, one ofwhich has been illustrated in detail in Fig. 5 and will be describedlater.

The pairs of contacts controlled by the switch blades Hand 23 arearranged so that the springs i8 and 24 tend to disengage them, the airstream against ,the associated bafiles l3 and I5 acting to hold them inengagement against the reaction of the springs. In the case ofthe pairsof contacts 5 controlled by the switch blades l9 and 2! they arepositioned so that the springs 2|! and 22 tend to cause them to engagebut the air streams against the associated baiiles I4 and l5 normallyhold them disengaged.

The wire 25 is connected to the positive terminal of any suitable sourceof current and extends to one of the contacts of the pair controlled bythe switch blade l9, by a branch wire 26 to one of the pair of contactscontrolled by switch blade 2|, and by branch 21 to one of the contactscontrolled by switch blade 29. The switch blade 29 is connected to abaffle 30 like the other bafiles, positioned in an opening adjacent thedoor and diagonally opposite the fan blades 32 operated by a motor 3!.In this arrangement an air stream is directed diagonally across thepassageway through the doorway when the door is open. A spring 28 actson the switch blade 29 tending to engage it with its associated pair ofcontacts. The other contact of this pair is connected by wire 33 to onecontact of a pair in a doorswitch 34. The other contact of the pair isconnected by wire 35 to the wire 35. The door switch is of the type wellknown in the art which is open when the door is closed but which closesand remains closed as long as the door is open. It is commonlypositioned to be actuated by the door itself.

One contact of each pair controlled by the switch blades I1 and 23 areconnected by wire 36. The other contact of the pair controlled by switchblade !'I is connected by wire 36 to the other contact of the paircontrolled by switch blade 2|. The other contact of the pair controlledby switch blade IB is connected by wire 3'! to the other contact of thepair controlled by switch blade 23. At 38 is an operating winding for arelay which is connected between wire 31 and ground. The contact 39 ofthe relay cooperates with a pair of contacts one of which is connectedto wire 25 and the other to wire 36. Wire 40 connects wire 36' with oneterminal of a winding of a magnet valve 4|, the other terminal of whichis grounded. One terminal of each of the motors 9 and 3| is grounded andthe other terminals are connected by a common wire 42 to the positivesupply connection 25. It will of course be apparent that the groundsmerely indicate a common return to the negative side of the currentsource.

Although those skilled in the art will understand the fact, it isnevertheless briefly noted that a differential engine is of the typehaving two cylinders of different diameters connected in alignment andprovided with pistons, likewise of different diameters, which areconnected together. The outer end of the smaller cylinder is open to theatmosphere and a constant supply of fluid pressure is provided for theengine between the pistons. Another connection from a suitable pressurefluid source extends to the outer end of the larger cylinder and in thisconnection the magnet valve is used. The magnet valve is of the wellknown type such as, for example, that shown in United States Patent No.1,943,819 issued January 16, 1934. It is simply a magnetically operatedtwo-way valve which opens the large cylinder to exhaust when the windingis deenergized and opens it to the pressure fluid source when thewinding is energized cutting ofi the exhaust.

In the operation of this system it will be assumed that a person isapproaching the door 3 through the passageway from the left. In thismovement he interrupts the air stream to baille I3, it being understoodthat the fan motors are continuously operating in the form of systemillustrated. The interruption of this air stream reduces the pressure onthe baffle so that spring l8 opens switch IT. The opening of this switchdoes not produce any other effect than to simply break the circuitconnected thereto, which at this time is dead. The person theninterrupts the air stream to bafile l4 removing the pressure therefrom.Thereupon spring 28 causes switch !9 to close so that current flowsthrough wire 25, switch l9, wire 31, relay winding 38 to ground. Thisoperates the relay so that switch 39 immediately sets up a circuitdirectly from wire 25 to wire 36 so that current flows through wire 35,switch l8, wire 35, switch 23 and wire 3'! back to ground th oughwinding 38, providing a holding circuit for it. Current also flown fromwire 38 through wire 49 to ground through the operating winding of themagnet valve 4|. Operation of the magnet valve cuts off the exhaust forthe large cylinder and connects it to the pressure fluid supply source.Pressure is thus applied to the outer face of the large piston (thepressure supplied thereto being the same as that supplied between thepistons and usually from the same source) so that the pressure on bothsides of the large piston is equalized leaving the pressure on the smallpiston unbalanced. Thus the engine operates to open the door. The engineremains in door opened position until the holding circuit to the relay38 is broken. This is accomplished when the person moving through thepassageway interrupts the air stream striking baflle 16 so that spring24 opens switch 23. The interruption of the air stream to baffle 15 asthe person moves through it does nothing more than connect wire 25 towire 3", through wire 25, which produces no additional operation sincewire 25 is already connected to wire 26 through switch 39. Should theperson stop in the doorway with the door open and another person enterthe passageway from either end so that the holding circuit to wire 35through the switches 18 and 23 is broken, the door will not closebecause even though the circuit to wire 36' is broken it will bemaintained as follows: Wire 25, wire 21, switch 29, wire 33, door switch34 (this of course being closed, the door being open) and wire 35 towire 36. It is, of course, apparent that a similar set of operationsoccur in the event that a person approaches the door from the right handend.

The system of Figure 2 differs from that of Figure 1 in that the door isintended for use in a one way passage. That is to say, the door willonly be opened when it is approached from one side. In this case, asbefore, a passageway 2, if desired, from the door is employed. A motordriven fan 43 directs an air stream across the passageway on the side ofthe door from which the approach thereto effects operation thereof. Theair stream is directed against a bafile or plate 44, similar to thosepreviously described, to which is connected a switch blade or contact 45under the action of a spring 46. The positive side of a suitable currentsource is connected by wire 41 to one of the pair of contacts controlledby switch blade 45 and by wire 48 to one contact each of two pairscontrolled respectively by the movable contacts 65 and 62 of a relayoperated by winding 5!. The other side of the current source isconnected by wire 49 to a wire 50 which extends to one terminal of thewinding oi a magnet valve 69 and to one terminal of the windof themagnet valve ing 5| and one terminal of the winding 62' of a secondrelay. The other terminal of the winding 5I is connected by wire 52 toone of the contacts of a pair controlled by the switch blade 53. Thisswitch blade is influenced; as before, by spring 54 and operated bybaiile 55 against which an air stream is directed by a fan 56. The otherterminal of the pair controlled by switch blade 53 is connected by wire51 to one contact of' the door switch 58. The other contact is connectedby wire 59 to a wire '50 which connects the Wiredd with one contact of apair controlled by the switch blade 64 of the relay whose winding is62'. The other contact of this pair is connected by wire 68 to the otherterminal of the winding 59 and to the other contact of the paircontrolled by'switch 55. The other contact of the pair controlledbyswitch blade 62 is connected by wire 61 to the other contact of thepaircontrolled by switch blade 63. The other contact of the paircontrolled by switch blade is connected by wire 6| to one terminal ofthe relay winding 62'. and to one contact of the pair controlled byswitch blade 63. The other terminal of winding 52' is connected to Wire5%; The air stream from fan 56 is directed diagonally across thepassageway and the door opening in the same manner as is the stream fromthe fan '32 of the arrangement shown in Fig. l, and the baflie 55 isarranged similar to the baffle 30 of the system of Fig. 1.

In the operation of this system, as a person approaches the door fromthe left, he interrupts the air stream from fan 43 so that spring 45 mayclose switch 45. Current then flows from wire 4! through switch 45, wire5!, winding 52' and back through wire 50 to wire 49. The relay operatedby winding 52' is thereupon closed, setting up a direct connection fromwire 57 through wire 48, wire 60, switch blade 64, wire '63, magnetvalve 69 and wire 50, back to wire 49. At the same time a holdingcircuit for the winding 52' is set up from .wire 48 through switch 52,wire 61, switch 63, back to one terminal of the winding 62', the otherterminal being permanently connected by wire 55 to wire .9. Thus therelay 52 remains operated, keeping current on the magnet valve.En'ergization of the magnet valve supplies air to the engine, as before,and the door opens fully. As soon as the door begins to open the doorswitch 58 closes, completing the circuit through it up to the switch 53.As the person. moves through the doorway he interrupts the air streamfrom the fan 55 sothatswitch 53 closes, completing the circuitasfollows: From the wire 68, through wire 55,.switoh 58, wire 5?, switch53, wire 52 and winding 5 back to wire This energizes the relay 5ibreaking the holding circuit to the relay 62' through switch '62. Theresult of this is that the circuit-to the magnet valve 59 through switch64 is broken-and the door closes. Should a person stop in the doorwaythe holding circuit to the relay 52' will likewise be broken butthepresence of the person in the doorway will maintain the circuit to relay5! so that switch 65 directly connects wire 58 with wire 68 .so that themagnet valve remains energized even through the circuit to it throughthe switch 54 is broken. Thus the door may not start to close until hemoves out of the doorway.

The system of Figure 3 is like that of Figure l in that the door may beopened on being approached from either side. In this system themotor-driven fans 20 and I 3| are arranged in the passageway on oppositesides of the door so .valve I36 is energizedthrough wire I39.. relay isof the time delay type well known in as to direct streams'of air acrossthe passageway. The stream from .ian I'ZUstrikes the baffle I2I which islike those previously described. This bafile is connected to the switchplate I 22 biased to closed position b'y' a spring, as before Similarlythe baffle I22 is connected'to switch plate I23 biased to closingposition by -a spring.

' Wire I23 extends from the positive side of a suit- I and is connectedto one of able current source the contacts of a pair controlled byswitch plate I22. This wire is connected by wire I 34 to one of thecontacts of a pair controlled by switch plate I33. The other contacts ofeach of these pairs are interconnected by the wire I 24. Dirooteddiagonally across the passageway is a fan I25 adapted to throw a streamof air across the passageway and through the doorway, as in each of theprevious cases. A baflie I26 is in this air stream and is connected toaswitch blade I 25 biased to closing position by a spring as before. Onecontact of the pair controlledby switch blade I2! is connected by wireI28 to wire I24 and the other contact of the pair is connected by wireI29 to door switch I 35, the other contact of which is connected to wireI23. One terminal of the magnet valve I35, which is like thosepreviously described, is connected by a wire I35 to the The other ofcontacts negative side of the current source. terminal is connected toone of a pair controlled by the switch blade I38 whose winding I S'I isconnected between wires I35 and IN. The other 'contactof the relay isconnected by wire I 39 to wire"I2 3.

In the operation of this system a'person may approach the door fromeither side and cause it to open. In approaching it from the left heinterrupts the air stream from fan I 28 and switch I 22 closes so thatcurrent flows from wire E23 through switch I22, wire I24, winding I37and back to the current source through wire 435. Thiscloses the switchI38 so that the many forms in the art, which upon momentary energizationis operated to. closed position and stays closed for of a relay magnet IThis a predetermined period of time.

after which it automatically opens. Thus the circuit to the magnet valveI36 is maintained a long enough period so thatthe person may movethrough the door after which the relay operates to open the switch i153,deenergizing the magnet valve so that the door closes. However, ifg'a'person stops in the doorway and remains there longer than the timeperiod of the relay so that.

the circuit through it to the -magnet valve is broken, a new circuit tothe relay has been established through the closed'door switch i3 3 andthe closed switch I27 so that the magnet valve remains energized as longas he remains there and the door cannot close. If a person shouldapproaoh the door from the other side a similar circuit sequence'resultsfrom closing the switch I33 and need not be described in detail further.

In the system of Figure 4 the passageway is defined by the-barriers I3and M having open.- ings in the barrier M through which airmay bedirected by the fans I6 and i8 driven by the motors-wand llrespectively. The air stream strikes against 'the movable bafiles and 93which are respectively connected'to the switch blades 5i and 94 andrespectively controlled by the switches 92 and 95. The door 85 ismounted across the passageway as in all previous cases and is mountedona vertical door shaft 87 operativelyconnected to the vdiiierentialengine 33 by means of the linkage 89. The magnet valve of which thewindings 98 and 99 are the operating windings is of the well known typea form of which is shown in my Patent No. 1,995,718 issued March 26,1935. As shown therein, magnet valves of this type are provided with twowindings, one of which when energized operates to open the valve andhold it open until the other or neutralizing winding is energized whenit closes. The positive current lead 84 from the current source isconnected to a common terminal of the windings 98 and 99 of the magnetvalve. The other terminal of winding 98 is connected by wire 91 to oneof the pair of contacts conntrolled by blade 9|, the other of which isconnected to the return lead 85 to the current source. This same lead isconnected by wire 96 to one of the contacts of the pair controlled bythe blade 94, the other of which is connected by wire I86 to the otherterminal of winding 99. A fan blade 8| directs an air stream across thepassageway at the doorway and is driven by a motor 80 which togetherwith the motors I and 11 are connected to the current source, wires 84and 85 by means of the wires 82 and 83 respectively. A bafile I93receives the air stream from fan 8! and is connected to a switch bladeI04 and controlled by spring 1&5. One contact of the pair controlled bythe blade W4 is connected by wire I06 to wire 85, while the othercontact of the pair is connected by wire I02 through the door switchllll to wire 91. The door switch is as before of the type which is openwhen the door is closed and is closed so long as the door is open.

In the operation of this system a person moving from left to rightinterrupts the air stream onto baffle 90 so that switch 9| closes.Current then flows from the source through wire 84, winding 98, wire 91,switch blade 9i, and wire 85 back to the current source. The magnetvalve is'operated and the engine is energized to open the door. The doorremains open until the person interrupts theair stream onto baffle 93,at which time switch 94 closes and current flows from wire 84 throughthe other winding 99 of the magnet valve, wire I00, switch 94, and wire96 back to the return lead 85. The energization of wire 99 causes themagnet valve to out the air supply and open the large cylinder of theengine to exhaust. Should a person stop in the doorway cutting oil theair stream to bafile I03, switch 164 closes so that current flowsthrough the door switch ID! to the opening winding 98 of the magnetvalve, in the event that a person approaching from the right interruptsthe air stream to baiile 93 permitting a closing of the circuit to theclosing winding 99. Thus the door may not shut on the person in thedoorway.

Figure 5 illustrates somewhat diagrammatically and yet in a usable formthe manner in which the baffles are mounted in the passageway andconnected to the switches. Thus the battle I3 is connected by a link 15to the switch arm l5 which is pivotally mounted on a bracket [5 Thespring l6 acts on the arm l5 tending to move it against contacts C whenthe air pressure on the baflle is cut off. The contacts C are mounted ona suitable insulating support C and the baffle I3 is shown supported atits bottom edge by means of hinges 13*.

Figure 6 diagrammatically illustrates the manner in which the principleof this invention may be applied to elevators. An elevator carriage isdiagrammatically illustrated at In! having. a

pair of doors I08 at the front. A fan HO driven by the motor I09 ispositioned to direct an air stream across the carriage doorway ontobatlie HI connected to a switch blade H2 which is normally out ofengagement with the contacts in the circuit comprising the wires H3 andIll. This circuit may extend to different points depending upon thedesired operation. For example, the wire H4 may extend to a controllerinterlock which prevents the starting of the cars as long as the airstream is interrupted by a person in the doorway, so that switch H2 isclosed. Under similar circumstances this wire may extend to the controlmechanism for the doors to prevent their closing.

From the above description it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that the principles of this invention may be embodied in manyspecific forms and circuit arrangements, and I do not therefore desireto be strictly limited to the particular forms of circuit arrangementdisclosed herein for purposes of illustration, but rather to the scopeof the claims as granted me.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the type described the combination including adoor, a motive device connected thereto for actuating it, a controldevice ior the motive device, means for directing a stream of air acrossthe passageway to the door, and means in the air stream and operatedupon the interruption of the air stream for actuating the controldevice.

2. In an apparatus as described the combination including a door, amotive device connected thereto for actuating it, means for controllingsaid motive device, and air operated means positioned in front of thedoor for actuating said means upon the interruption of the air operatedmeans by a person approaching the door.

3. In an apparatus as described the combination including a door, amotive device connected thereto for actuating it, control means for themotor, air pressure operated means for actuating the control meanspositioned in the passageway to the door, and means for directing astream of aid onto said last means across the passageway.

4. In an apparatus as described the combination including a door, amotive device connected thereto for actuating it, air operated means foractuating said control means positioned at each side of the door andlongitudinally spaced therefrom, and means for blowing streams of airacross the passageway onto said air operated means whereby interruptionof either air stream by a person approaching the door from either sidecauses said operated means to actuate said control means to open thedoor.

5. In an apparatus as described the combination including a door, amotive device connected thereto for actuating it, air operated means foractuating said control means positioned at each side of the door andlongitudinally spaced therefrom, means for blowing streams of air acrossthe passageway onto said air operated means whereby interruption ofeither air stream by a person approaching the door from either sidecauses said operated means to actuate said control means to open thedoor, air operated means positioned adjacent the door for actuating saidcontrol means, and means for directing a stream of air thereagainstacross the doorway.

6. In an apparatus of the type described the combination including adoor, a motive device connected thereto for actuating it, means fordilongitudinally recting a plurality of air streams across thepassageway to and from the door on opposite sides thereof andlongitudinally spaced therefrom, and means for controllingthe motivedevice including means in said air streams for causing t he door to openupon the interruption. of an air streamon either side of the door, andfor closing it upon interruption of another air stream on either side ofthe door.

'7. In an apparatus of combination including a door, connected theretofor operating it, air operated means positioned on either side of thedoor and spaced therefrom for controlling said motive device, and meansfor directing air streams against said last mentioned means whereby uponthe interruption of either air stream the door opens.

8. In an apparatus of the type described the combination including adoor, a pressure fluid operated motor connected thereto for operatingit, means for controlling the supply of air to and exhaust from saidmotor, air pressure operated the type described the a motive device'means controlling said means, and means for directing streams of airacross the passageway onto said air operated means to hold them ininoperative position,.whereby upon the interruption of one of the airstreams the air operated means is actuated to operative position.

9. In an apparatus of the type described the combination including adoor, an air engine con- I nected thereto, air supply and exhaust meansfor the engine, means for controlling said last means includingcontroldevices positioned adjacent the passageways to and from the doorand longitudinally spaced therefrom, and means for directing streams ofair across the passageway to hold said control devices in inoperativeposition.

10. In. a combination as described a door, operating mechanism therefor,means for directing a stream of air across the door, and-means in theair stream positioned to be interrupted by a person in the doorway forcontrolling the door operating mechanism.

11. In a combination as described, a door, means for directing a streamofair across the door, and means in the air stream positioned to heinterrupted by a person in the doorway for preventing the closing of thedoors.

lilln an elevator system the combination including elevator carriagehaving a doorway, doors mounted in the doorway, means for directing astream of air across the doorway, a switch device in said air thedoorway and a circuit connected to said switch for controlling a devicerelated to the operation of said door.

stream and arranged to close when the air stream is interrupted by aperson in a 13. In an apparatusof the type described the combinationincluding a passageway having a door therein, a motor connected to thedoor for opening and closing it, control means for said motor includingcontrol devices positioned in the passageway on each side dinally spacedtherefrom, and means for directing streams of air across the passagewayfor of the door and longituholding the'control devices. in inoperativeposition.

EDWARD G. PARVIN.

